Base Station Sleep Control Using Non-Terrestrial RAN Handover

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing terrestrial base stations experience inefficiencies in resource allocation during low activity periods, leading to unnecessary resource expenditure and limited deactivation due to nearby base station capacity constraints.

Innovation Solution

Shutting down terrestrial base stations during low activity periods and redirecting connections to non-terrestrial networks, such as satellites or drones, to optimize resource usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If terrestrial base stations remain active during low activity periods, then service coverage is maintained, but energy consumption and resource expenditure increase unnecessarily

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidservice coverage

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The base station transitions between active and inactive states dynamically based on real-time traffic conditions. When traffic falls below a threshold, the base station enters inactive state to save energy; when traffic exceeds the threshold, it becomes active again, creating a flexible adaptive system that optimizes energy consumption while maintaining service reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

A network controller acts as an intermediary to manage the transition of base stations between active and inactive states. The controller monitors traffic conditions, determines when base stations should be deactivated or activated, and coordinates the handover of user equipment to other base stations, enabling centralized optimization of energy consumption across the network

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of energy

If more base stations are deactivated during low activity periods, then energy savings increase, but nearby base stations become overloaded due to capacity constraints

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy savingsVSAvoidbase station capacity utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors traffic conditions and base station capacity utilization, using this feedback to dynamically adjust which base stations are deactivated. When nearby base stations approach capacity limits, the feedback mechanism prevents their deactivation or triggers activation of additional base stations, ensuring balanced load distribution while maximizing energy savings

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters of base stations based on traffic conditions, including deactivation thresholds, activation thresholds, and handover parameters. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system optimizes the balance between energy savings and capacity utilization, preventing overload of remaining active base stations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250386290A1Non-terrestrial network utilization during low activity at terrestrial base stations

Publication Date: 2025.12.18 T MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods for saving energy at a base station are provided. A low activity period of the base station may be determined based on historical traffic parameters and/or a utilization of the base station falling below a pre-determined threshold. The base station ceases transmissions at a beginning of the low activity period. One or more UEs may connect to one or more nodes of a non-terrestrial radio access network (RAN). The base station resumes transmissions at an end of the low activity period.